As any bowler knows, the resulting action of a spherical bowling ball on irregularly shaped bowling pins is not easily predicted when the pins are vertically and uniformly spaced; and the results which occur when the pins are horizontal and randomly oriented is even harder to predict. Automatic pin setting apparatus for removing the disarrayed bowling pins and bowling ball from a lane must sort the ball from the pins and convey the bowling ball to a return runway, and the pins to an elevated storage rack where at the appropriate time they can again be lowered on the alley in a predetermined position. After the pins are knocked down by a bowling ball in disarray, they must take a common path through the apparatus which separates the bowling ball from the pins before the bowling ball and the pins reach a point in their travel where they engage the apparatus which is designed specifically to handle and transport the ball on one hand, and the pins on all other. The problem of separating a ball from the pins and starting the ball in the equipment that is specifically designed to carry the ball, must not interfere with the travel of the pins on their way to the materially handling equipment that is specifically designed to handle the pins. The result has been that the machines which have been developed by the prior art thus far, work imperfectly in the area where the ball and pins are separated from their common path of travel, particularly when more than normal amounts of oil or wax are applied to the bowling lanes, or the equipment. Bowling balls sometimes remain in the common path of the pins and ball through the equipment, until such time as an operator forces the ball out of the common path into the equipment which is specifically designed to handle the ball. Usually an operator is nowhere near the particular lane where the difficulty has occurred, and bowling must be discontinued until such time as the operator is located and sent to the particular lane where the difficulty exists.
An object of the present invention is the provision of automatic pin-setting and ball-return apparatus which separates the ball from the pins regardless of the amount of oil or wax which has accumulated on either the ball or ball wheel.
Another object of the invention is to provide improved principles and apparatus which can be adapted to elements of existing apparatus to improve the reliability of the existing apparatus.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, from the following embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.